It's Catchy, And Devastating

Last night my daughter saw something on television that made her holler out, "That's not right!  You don't get sick because of the cold,  you get sick because everybody stays inside and there there are more germs!"

Genius.

A little later I was doing some reading in Joshua chapter seven.  It's the story of the first sin on the West side of the Jordan river.  Israel had been wandering in the desert for 40 years but had just crossed the Jordan river to finally begin taking possession of the land God had promised them hundreds of years earlier, when they weren't even a nation - just a man, Abraham.  Now they had crossed the river, camped and watched as God destroyed the city of Jericho and it's defenses.  All the people of Israel had to do was walk around the city for a few days and play some music.  God got the victory that day.  In exchange He was to receive all the plunder from the city, gold, silver and jewels for the Temple treasury and the rest of the city was to be destroyed.

But one person decided that he wanted some of that loot for himself.  So he took some.  A few days later Joshua sent a few thousand fighting men to a little town called Ai they should have taken easily, but instead, 36 Israelites were killed.

God revealed to Joshua the reason for their loss, someone had sinned and taken some of the plunder that was to be devoted to God alone.  Turns out is was one guy.  God reveals him to the nation and he, his family, his possessions are all killed and destroyed.  One man sinned and 36 men are killed in battle and then his family is put to death.  More than forty people suffered because of the greed of one man.

The old wive's tale that you will catch a cold or the flu by being outside in the winter is false.  You catch it because everyone stays inside the house with the windows closed up.  there is little new air but lots of old germs.  One person picks something up from school and pretty soon everybody has it.  It spreads like crazy.

Sin is like that.  One person's sin can affect a large number of people.  It's not an individual thing and it's not just a family thing.  Sin affects the whole.  Especially when it is tolerated and allowed to continue.  Precautions have to be taken.  Spiritual disinfectant needs to be used - like church attendance.  Did you know that when you are actively sinning it becomes harder and harder to just go to church?   When you are engaged in sin you will either stop the sin or stop attending.  Disinfectants can also be daily Bible reading and prayer, listening to Chrisitan radio or spending time with with Christian friends.  All of these help to keep your life free from sin.

God said to Cain in Genesis 3, "Sin is crouching at your door.  It desires to have you, but you must master it."

Take some inventory of your life right now and see just how many people are affected by your sin.  How can you begin to master it today?

PS.  You think your sin is secret?  Pornography or some other addiction you engage in only at home? It's not.  Even secular psychologist are rapidly agreeing that sexual sins like pornography are destroying men, women and marriages.  Porn is a multi-billion dollar industry, is it any wonder that rape has skyrocketed?  That marriages continue to be destroyed from the inside out?  Your sin affects your marriage, your children and if left unchecked it will affect the church.  Don't be an Achan (the guy who sinned in Joshua seven).  The Bible tells us to confess our sins one to another and God will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  We are to confess our sins to God as well and seek forgiveness.  Confession is the key to freedom from sin.  Get healthy today.